This is so cool. For those who don’t know our CEO, when BP blackened the Gulf Coast with oil in 2010, Rose sent 70 Patagonia employees down to bayou communities in Louisiana affected by the spill to walk door to door conducting public health surveys. I was one of them, and it was a productive and moving experience. Under her direction, our company continues to figure out new ways to reduce the harms we do as a business and show other companies that it is indeed possible to contribute to the greater good, and make a profit. I’ve worked at Patagonia 16 years, and continue to be blown away by the ever-growing scope of our efforts. Very proud to be part of this company. And very proud of you, Rose!

Good on you for volunteering, Craig. Trail work is not for the weak of heart or spirit. Luci's is a nice addition to the growing inventory of Ojai trails. As an aside, you were kind to say I "christened" the staircase. More like I was chastened by it! Keep up the good work, my friend. Much appreciated.

Nicely explained and beautifully photographed. Quite the adventure!

Hi Beth, Thanks very much for your note. You make a great point about how efforts such as these benefit not only native fauna, but also migratory species that depend on habitat in other lands. Thanks for the reminder. And thanks for your support. All the best, Jim

Nicely written account of an important event. I'm so glad to hear it was well attended and that the people who came were engaged and informed. We know from experience we can't leave this essential work to our financially strapped and all too often unimaginative municipalities. The impetus and the imagination will only come from concerned citizens. Big thanks to Patagonia Chicago for hosting this gathering and serving as a catalyst for positive environmental change.

Hi Kate, I agree. The desert is a seemingly tough, but surprisingly fragile environment that scars easily. I don't know why the utility companies can't just rent our rooftops from us and sell the energy back. At any rate, I'll share your comments with our enviro folks. Thanks for your concern. Jim

Good Morning, Kate. Thanks for your post. I can provide an "unofficial" answer to your question based on my role here at Patagonia as an editor in our Creative Services department and my rudimentary knowledge of the issue. First, we chose to demonstrate our opposition to HidroAysen because of our longtime interest and affinity for the area. Also, the likelihood of dams on the Baker and Pascua rivers recently moved forward, which we responded to symbolically with our demonstration and materially in other ways. As to your question of the Mojave and Colorado deserts: From my perspective, industrial anything, including a solar plant in the Mojave or a wind farm off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, will have an environmental downside. For that reason and others, rooftop solar is preferable to a huge array of solar panels or mirrors for a solar thermal plant. But it would seem that energy model doesn't provide the financial returns utility companies have come to expect. I know that Patagonia supports the Nevada Wilderness Project with grant money and internship hours. One of that group's primary foci is what it calls "Smart from the Start" development of renewables in the Mojave, Great Basin and elsewhere in Nevada. That means finding places for these types of developments that do the least amount of environmental harm. It's not that our deserts are not worthy of our greater attention. Sadly, Patagonia has only so much bandwidth. All the best, Jim

Hey Erik, Your reply reminded me to do the same. Unfortunately I didn't get a warm body at the consulate in L.A. I'm hoping they're getting lots of call and can't field them all, but then again it's Friday afternoon on the West Coast and they may have already started their weekend. Anyway, I was able to leave a message letting them know I was opposed. Thanks for the reminder and thanks for acting!

Hi Carl, Thanks for the link to your photos. We're glad to know you oppose the project. Hope you give your nearest Chilean consulate or embassy a call and let them know your feelings. All the best, Jim

I'm hoping that one day soon my 14-year-old daughter is awakened from her virtual life by a similar epiphany. Out with the electronic gizmos, in with a sea breeze.

Great stories and photos. I thoroughly enjoyed the series!

Nice piece! Milan is certainly an inspiration. Wish my 56 year old body was holding up as well. The bouncy shuffling, arm waving, hello guy you mention early on in you story reminded me of a 70+ year old fellow I used to see most every morning run-shuffling through the Ojai Valley. He not only waved to other runners, he waved to every car that came his way. Spreading the stoke, he was.

Hi Chrimson, Go to the Institute for Bird Populations website. Looks like they have an active volunteer program. Happy helping!

Thanks for your support, Bruce!

Thanks for your kind words, Sarah. I share your pain with shopping bags. Best, Jim

The Wilderness Act's exclusion of bikes is unfortunate. As a mountain biker living in an area with rather limited riding opportunities and a fair amount of designated wilderness, it's been hard for me to support new wilderness when it threatens to close some of the few trails we can ride. As for allowing horses in wilderness areas and excluding bikes, well, that makes no sense whatsoever. Horses are far harder on trails, creeks and camping areas than bikers.

Though I have to confess I watched a lot of Cheers episodes as a younger man, the reason I listed Ted Danson was not for his acting. Ted is also on the board of directors for Oceana, and visited Patagonia during our Oceans as Wilderness Campaign. Laudably, at least in my estimation, he's using his celebrity to try to do some good on behalf of the world's oceans.

A little green space obviously goes a long way toward supporting wildlife. Thanks for sharing the urban experience!

A very long run, beautifully remembered.

In addition to some of the lifeless lifeforms Paul and his son recorded on Hwy 33 – which runs from Ventura through Ojai, California, and beyond – we have a surprising diversity of living wildlife in these parts, as well. A woefully incomplete list in random order would include: tarantulas, horned lizards, rattlesnakes (sounds pretty scary, huh?) gopher snakes, racers, white egrets, great blue herons, brown pelicans, harbor seals, California sea lions, the occasional white pelican, dolphins, blue whales, grey whales, sharks of various sizes and colors (does the Santa Barbara Channel count as a blue water corridor?) and even a few steelhead trout remaining in our trickling streams and river. We used to have a lot of grizzlies, too, but that was when there were a lot more steelhead and the Spanish held this part of the world.

Amazing feat on blistered feet. Way to go team!

MCNB, Our Customer Service people will need your name and address to remove you from the mailing list. Please email that info to them at [email protected] Thanks!

Sorry for the unsolicited mail, MCNB. I forwarded your message to our customer service folks asking them to delete you from our mailing list. We may need your name and address to make it happen. I'll let you know. Again, apologies. Hope all goes well in Asia, Jim

Hey Dallas, Thanks for the kind note. Glad you enjoyed your time here in Ventura. Southern Utah is one of my favorite places. I usually manage to visit at least once a year to camp and mountain bike at Gooseberry Mesa and beyond. Best, Jim

Glad you liked the pics. It really is a great place to work, not only because of the physical location and humane corporate culture, but because of the quality of people it attracts.